Ciutat Vella

At one end of the Plaça del Rei, a monument breaks with the prevailing Gothic style of this area. A robust metal structure seems out of keeping with its surroundings while fitting in perfectly. Topos V is a sculpture that acts as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

Eduardo Chillida named his sculpture Topos V. The word means nothing more that “the place”; because the place, the very square where the monument stands, is so powerful that it defines its forms and materials. In this case, the heart of medieval Barcelona, the Plaça del Rei, inspired the Basque artist to create his cast-iron sculpture which stands near the entrance to this historic spot.

Engaging with the corner of the square, the sculpture is also shaped like a corner enclosed on both sides. The top is surmounted by a series of semi-circular openings, a form reminiscent of medieval semi-circular arches. These arches can be seen in the windows of the watchtower in the square, and those underpinning the great hall, the Saló del Tinell and the main hall of the former royal palace, the Palau Reial. The arches on the top of sculpture can also be read as the “B” for Barcelona. This Topos is the artist’s personal tribute to the medieval city where it stands. A tribute where volume, material, texture and space engage harmoniously with the surroundings.